How to name beneficiaries and fund a trust at F&G
Beneficiaries are managed online, by phone or by mail. Trust paperwork is taken by phone or by mail
Estate planning with F&G policies centers on beneficiary designations—the single most important step for ensuring life insurance proceeds and annuity benefits reach the intended recipients without probate involvement. Unlike bank or brokerage accounts, insurance products are not retitled into trusts; instead, trusts are named as beneficiaries when estate tax planning or controlled distributions are needed.
Each of F&G's 5 policies has different rules for how it transfers at death. The sections below explain the options for each.
Beneficiary form at F&G
Change of Beneficiary Request (ADMIN 5742) (for life insurance policys), Change of Beneficiary Request (ADMIN 5742) (for annuitys) and Signature Verification form (ADMIN 5825).
Open the form →- Each beneficiary's full legal name, address, date of birth, Social Security number, phone and email.
- Whether the relationship is to the insured, the annuitant, or the owner, and the percentage allocated.
- Primary allocations must total 100.00 percent and contingent allocations must total 100.00 percent.
- F&G's published specimen for leaving proceeds to the estate is "Executors or Administrators of the Insured's Estate."
- Its specimen for an individual trustee is "John J. Jones Insurance Trust naming Mary Smith as Trustee under Trust Agreement date February 15, 2015."
- Its specimen for a corporate trustee is "Wells Fargo, Baltimore, MD, Trustee, or its successors in trust, under Trust Agreement dated February 12, 2015."
- Each specimen names the trust and the date of the trust agreement.
- F&G states it encourages naming one or more contingent beneficiaries in case a primary beneficiary dies first.
- Beneficiaries beyond the three primary and three contingent slots go on an attached page carrying the same information, signed and dated, and counted in the 100.00 percent total.
- Individual owners: all individual owners sign.
- Trust: all trustees sign with the title "trustee" according to the terms of the trust agreement.
- Corporation or LLC: two officers, or the managing member of the LLC, sign with title and enclose a corporate or board resolution, the Articles of Incorporation, or the LLC operating agreement.
- For a corporation, the second officer signs in the "Other Required Signature" section.
- Partnership: all partners sign.
- A witness signature is required, and F&G states the witness can be any disinterested third party but a beneficiary cannot be the witness.
- Any irrevocable beneficiary must also sign; an irrevocably named beneficiary cannot be changed without that beneficiary's written consent included in the request.
- If the application was submitted electronically, or several years have passed since a signed document was filed, F&G asks that the Signature Verification form (ADMIN 5825) be included.
- Mail to F&G Service Center, P.O. Box 81497, Lincoln, NE 68501-1497.
- Or send overnight to F&G Service Center, 777 Research Drive, Lincoln, NE 68521.
- New York policies: mail to Fidelity & Guaranty Life Insurance Company of New York Service Center, P.O. Box 81337, Lincoln, NE 68501-1337.
- Or fax to 800-281-5777 for life insurance or 402-328-2266 for annuities.
Required Documents
- Active policy number (to register for the Policyholder Portal). The service center supplies a policy number that is not at hand
- Active email account (to register for the Policyholder Portal)
- Social Security number or tax identification number (to register for the Policyholder Portal)
- Each beneficiary's full legal name, address, date of birth and Social Security number (for each beneficiary)
- Each beneficiary's phone and email (for each beneficiary)
- Each beneficiary's relationship and percentage allocated (for each beneficiary). Whether the relationship is to the insured, the annuitant, or the owner
- Change of Beneficiary Request form (ADMIN 5742), completed (by mail or fax)
- Attached page listing the additional beneficiaries, signed and dated (for beneficiaries beyond the three primary and three contingent slots). It carries the same information, and its shares count in the 100.00 percent total
- Corporate or board resolution, Articles of Incorporation, or LLC operating agreement (when a corporation or LLC owns the policy)
- Written consent of the irrevocable beneficiary (when changing an irrevocably named beneficiary)
- Signature Verification form (ADMIN 5825) (where the application was submitted electronically or no signed document has been filed for several years)
- To move a life policy into an Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust: the Transfer of Ownership form (ADMIN 0177).
- To put an annuity into trust ownership: ADMIN 0177 plus the Non-Natural Owner Acknowledgement form the transfer form requires whenever the new owner is a trust.
- To name a trust as beneficiary without changing ownership: the Change of Beneficiary Request form (ADMIN 5742).
- Complete the Transfer of Ownership form (ADMIN 0177), naming the trust as new owner with its relationship to the insured, taxpayer identification number, date of birth or formation, and address.
- Part A alone is completed for a transfer of ownership without a beneficiary or annuitant change.
- Complete the signature section with the account holder and policy owner printed name, signature, and date.
- The form also carries a witness line for all signatures and a signature line for any assignee or irrevocable beneficiary.
- F&G states that trust changes must be accompanied by pages 1 and 2 of the trust as well as the signature page, and that the request must be signed by the trustees.
- F&G states that if the change in ownership results from a death, the request must be accompanied by both a death certificate and current appointment papers.
- F&G states that corporate changes require the signatures of two corporate officers along with their titles.
- A separate form is completed for each contract.
- Mail to F&G Service Center, P.O. Box 81497, Lincoln, NE 68501-1497.
- Or send overnight to F&G Service Center, 777 Research Drive, Lincoln, NE 68521.
- New York policies: Fidelity & Guaranty Life Insurance Company of New York Service Center, P.O. Box 81337, Lincoln, NE 68501-1337.
- Or fax to Life Policyholder Services at 800-281-5777 or Annuity Policyholder Services at 402-328-2266.
Required Documents
- Transfer of Ownership form (ADMIN 0177), completed. One per contract
- Non-Natural Owner Acknowledgement form (whenever the new owner is a trust). ADMIN 0177 requires it for a trust-owned contract
- Pages 1 and 2 of the trust document plus the signature page
- Trust name, date of the trust agreement, and taxpayer identification number
- Trustee identification and the signature of every trustee
- Witness signature, and the signature of any assignee or irrevocable beneficiary
- Death certificate and current appointment papers (where the ownership change results from a death)
- Signature Verification form (ADMIN 5825) (where the application was submitted electronically or no signed document has been filed for several years)
What F&G says about beneficiaries and trusts
Each section is F&G's own statement, with the document it comes from numbered under Sources.
Which accounts take a beneficiary1
- Annuity
The annuity contract reserves F&G's right to refuse a beneficiary change if the written request arrives more than 30 days after the owner signed it.1
Who can be named2
- The estate
The estate can be named. F&G's published specimen is "Executors or Administrators of the Insured's Estate."2
- A trust
A trust can be named. F&G's specimen for an individual trustee is "John J. Jones Insurance Trust naming Mary Smith as Trustee under Trust Agreement date February 15, 2015."2
For a corporate trustee the specimen is "Wells Fargo, Baltimore, MD, Trustee, or its successors in trust, under Trust Agreement dated February 12, 2015." Each specimen names the trust and the date of the trust agreement.2
How many beneficiaries, and how shares are split
- All accounts
Primary allocations must total 100.00 percent, and contingent allocations must total 100.00 percent. F&G states it encourages naming one or more contingent beneficiaries in case a primary beneficiary dies first.2
The form has three primary and three contingent slots. More beneficiaries go on an attached page carrying the same information, signed and dated, and counted in the 100.00 percent total.2
What a designation takes to be effective
- All accounts
All individual owners sign, and a witness signature is required. The witness can be any disinterested third party, but a beneficiary cannot be the witness.2
Where a trust owns the policy, all trustees sign with the title "trustee." A corporation or LLC needs two officers, or the managing member, signing with title; all partners sign for a partnership.2
Beneficiary forms F&G issues3
- Change of Beneficiary Request (ADMIN 5742)
For life insurance policys. Completed by the owner. Available to download.2
Return to
Fax: 1-800-281-5777
Mailing address: F&G Service Center, P.O. Box 81497, Lincoln, NE 68501-1497. Overnight: F&G Service Center, 777 Research Drive, Lincoln, NE 68521. New York policies: Fidelity & Guaranty Life Insurance Company of New York Service Center, P.O. Box 81337, Lincoln, NE 68501-1337.
- Change of Beneficiary Request (ADMIN 5742)
For annuitys. Completed by the owner. Available to download.2
Return to
Fax: 1-402-328-2266
Mailing address: F&G Service Center, P.O. Box 81497, Lincoln, NE 68501-1497. Overnight: F&G Service Center, 777 Research Drive, Lincoln, NE 68521. New York policies: Fidelity & Guaranty Life Insurance Company of New York Service Center, P.O. Box 81337, Lincoln, NE 68501-1337.
- Signature Verification form (ADMIN 5825)
Sent by the institution on request.2
What F&G's agreement says about beneficiaries3
- Changing or revoking a designation
A completed request in good order revokes all prior designations. A beneficiary change can be made only while the owner is alive.2
An irrevocably named beneficiary cannot be changed without that beneficiary's written consent included in the request, and any irrevocable beneficiary must also sign.2
- When a designation takes effect
F&G processes a change within 3 to 5 business days of receiving all required information and mails a confirmation to the owner's address on record. Faxed documents take 3 business days to enter the processing system.4
- Changing the owner of a policy or account
Per the transfer form (ADMIN 0177), a change of ownership is not binding until F&G receives it in good order and acknowledges it. It is then effective as of the date of the change.5
The transfer form (ADMIN 0177) states the transaction may be a taxable and reportable event to the current owner. F&G states it assumes no responsibility for the validity or sufficiency of the change and makes no representations about its tax consequences.5
State requirements F&G statesNew York
- New York
New York policies are issued by Fidelity & Guaranty Life Insurance Company of New York, and their forms go to that company's own service center address.2
Which accounts a trust can hold2
- Life insurance policy
Ownership of a life policy can be transferred to an Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust on the Transfer of Ownership form (ADMIN 0177).5
- Annuity
A trust can own an annuity through ADMIN 0177 and the Non-Natural Owner Acknowledgement form. Ownership of a qualified plan-owned annuity may only be changed to the plan participant.5
Under the contract's non-natural-owner rules, the annuitant cannot be a non-natural person, no annuitant or joint annuitant may be changed once the owner is non-natural, and the annuitant's death is treated as the death of an owner.1
Trust account forms F&G issues4
- Transfer of Ownership / Change Beneficiary / Change Annuitant (ADMIN 0177)
For life insurance policys. Completed by the account holder and policy owner, one form per contract. Available to download.5
Return to
Fax: 1-800-281-5777
Mailing address: F&G Service Center, P.O. Box 81497, Lincoln, NE 68501-1497. Overnight: F&G Service Center, 777 Research Drive, Lincoln, NE 68521. New York policies: Fidelity & Guaranty Life Insurance Company of New York Service Center, P.O. Box 81337, Lincoln, NE 68501-1337.
- Transfer of Ownership / Change Beneficiary / Change Annuitant (ADMIN 0177)
For annuitys. Completed by the account holder and policy owner, one form per contract. Available to download.5
Return to
Fax: 1-402-328-2266
Mailing address: F&G Service Center, P.O. Box 81497, Lincoln, NE 68501-1497. Overnight: F&G Service Center, 777 Research Drive, Lincoln, NE 68521. New York policies: Fidelity & Guaranty Life Insurance Company of New York Service Center, P.O. Box 81337, Lincoln, NE 68501-1337.
- Non-Natural Owner Acknowledgement form
For annuitys. Sent by the institution on request.5
- Signature Verification form (ADMIN 5825)
Sent by the institution on request.5
What F&G says about trust accounts2
- A trust as owner of a policy
ADMIN 0177 warns that certain riders may terminate if ownership is assigned or transferred.5
A transfer of ownership revokes any previous designation of owner or contingent owner but does not revoke a designation of beneficiary. A policy moved into a trust keeps its beneficiary until a Change of Beneficiary Request (ADMIN 5742) is also filed.5
- Indemnity the owner or a trustee gives
On the transfer form (ADMIN 0177), the current and new owners each agree to hold F&G harmless and indemnify it against claims arising from the change.5
Not in F&G's published guidance1
- Processing time for an ownership transfer
Sources
Data sourced from F&G primary sources (15 pages reviewed). How we research.
Download these F&G instructions
Download instructions for the whole estateA printable PDF with the steps, required documents, and contact details — verified against F&G primary sources. Bring it to the branch or keep it beside the phone.
F&G estate support
F&G Service Center
Phone
Living benefits claims
Overnight delivery
New York policies
Annuities fax
Fax
Hours
Mailing address
Website
Estate requests go through general customer service.
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